Recent list shows P.J. Fleck is among highest-paid college football coaches

Fleck is the ninth-highest-paid head coach in the Big Ten.

Sep 14, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck looks on during the first half against the Nevada Wolf Pack at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

P.J. Fleck is making $6.7 million this season, which makes him the 26th-highest-paid head coach in all of college football.

According to a recent list from USA Today, there are only eight coaches in the 18-team Big Ten that will have a higher salary than Fleck in 2024. He's currently in the middle of a 7-year, $42 million contract extension with the University of Minnesota that was signed in December 2022. His contract buyout (as of 12/1/24) is $23.3 million, which ranks 27th-highest in college football, according to the list.

Since taking over the Gophers' program in 2017, Fleck has compiled a 54-37 record (31-34 in conference play) and has led the team to five bowl victories. With a 20-game minimum, he ranks fourth all-time in program history with a 59.3 winning percentage.

Fleck is objectively one of the better coaches in the history of Gophers football, but he's never led Minnesota to a conference championship game appearance or New Year's Six bowl game.

Notable coaches that Fleck ranks above in terms of 2024 salary include Marcus Freeman from Notre Dame, Mack Brown from North Carolina, Matt Campbell from Iowa State, and seven other major conference coaches that have played in either a conference championship game or a New Year's Six bowl with their current programs.